MixedTimes - Frances Martel

Richard Branson Announces Latin Star-Studded 'Venezuela Aid Live' Concert

By Frances Martel |

Virgin Group billionaire Richard Branson announced on Friday the launch of an effort to raise $100 million in 60 days for the people of Venezuela centered around "Venezuela Aid Live," a concert featuring some of the biggest names in the Latin American music industry.

Guaido Envoy: Nicolas Maduro Can Run in Free Venezuelan Elections

By Frances Martel |

Venezuelan interim President Juan Guaidó's envoy to Rome,Francisco Sucre, said in an interview this week that when the nation's opposition organizes a free and fair election, dictator Nicolás Maduro will have the option of putting his name on the ballot.

Nearly Two Dozen Cuban Dissidents on Hunger Strike After Violent Crackdown

By Frances Martel |

The head of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU), a Cuban pro-democracy organization, announced Wednesday that 23 members of the group are on hunger strike after violent raids resulted in a mass arrest of fellow members in anticipation of the communist regime staging a fraudulent "constitutional referendum" this month.

Japan: Gay Couples Seek Same-Sex Marriage Rights in Valentine's Day Lawsuit

By Frances Martel |

A group of 13 same-sex couples in Japan plans to file a lawsuit Thursday challenging their legal inability to marry, depriving them of the ability to inherit property from their partners, make meaningful medical decisions in cases of emergency, and other rights.

'God Is Not Neutral': Hispanic Celebrities Criticize Pope over Venezuela Stance

By Frances Martel |

Some of the Latin American music industry's biggest names criticized the Vatican this week for its lukewarm stance on the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, urging Pope Francis, himself South American, to support the majority of the country against dictator Nicolás Maduro's violent socialist regime.

North Korea Demands Rewards for 'Denuclearization,' Doesn't Acknowledge Summit

By Frances Martel |

North Korea's government-run media published a story demanding the United States respond to the communist autocracy's alleged "active and preemptive efforts" to denuclearize with "corresponding practical action" in a column Monday, implying lifting of international sanctions.

Spanish White House Video Compares Venezuela's Maduro to Stalin, Mussolini

By Frances Martel |

The White House published a Spanish-language video message to the Venezuelan people on Thursday comparing socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro to Josef Stalin, Muammar Qaddafi, Benito Mussolini, and other tyrants who usurped power in their home countries, expressing solidarity with the opposition.

Cuba Arrests U.S. Flag Protester for Trying to Help Tornado Victims

By Frances Martel |

Police arrested Daniel Llorente, a Cuban dissident who spent over a year imprisoned in a psychiatric facility for waving a U.S. flag at the 2017 communist May Day parade, on Sunday after he appeared in the devastated Havana neighborhood of Regla and attempted to provide aid to those affected by this month's tornado.

Democrats Fail to Mention Venezuela Crisis in State of the Union Response

By Frances Martel |

California Attorney GeneralXavier Becerra referenced gun control, environmental regulation, and the FBI probe into Russian election meddling during the Spanish-language Democratic response to the State of the Union response on Tuesday, but he failed to mention the single biggest crisis currently affecting Latin Americans: the collapse of socialist Venezuela.

President Guaido Unveils Giant Government Program to Fix Venezuela

By Frances Martel |

Interim President Juan Guaidó of Venezuela unveiled what he called the "Plan País," or "Nation Plan," on Thursday, his policy prescription for ending the humanitarian crisis in the country created by two decades of socialist policies.

Canada Recalls Diplomats After Another Brain Injury in Cuba

By Frances Martel |

The government of Canada announced on Wednesday that it would cut its diplomatic presence in Cuba in half after documenting a new case of unexplained brain trauma in an embassy worker, a move that the communist regime responded to with hostility.

State Department Accepts Venezuela's Opposition Diplomats

By Frances Martel |

The U.S. State Department confirmed on Sunday that it has recognizedCarlos Alfredo Vecchio, appointed by newly-inaugurated President Juan Guaidó this weekend, as Venezuela'sChargé d’Affaires to the United States.

Islamist World Unites Behind Venezuelan Dictator Maduro

By Frances Martel |

The world's most high-profile Islamist nations and terrorist organizations – from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the Hamas and Hezbollah groups – set aside Sunni and Shiite differences this week to unite behind Nicolás Maduro, ejected from the presidency through the invocation of a Venezuelan constitutional mandate to remove dictators.

Venezuelan President Guaido Floats Amnesty for Maduro, Top Socialist Officials

By Frances Martel |

Interim Venezuelan President Juan Guaidó suggested on Thursday that the nation's opposition is open to discussing granting prosecutorial amnesty to dictator Nicolás Maduro and top officials, such as drug traffickers Diosdado Cabello and Tareck El Aissami, despite their flagrant record of years of human rights abuses.

Turkey's Erdogan: ‘Maduro Brother, Stand Tall’ in Venezuela

By Frances Martel |

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a serial human rights violator believed to be the world's most prolific jailer of journalists, expressed “shock” at the United States declaring Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro illegitimate and offered words of support to the socialist leader Thursday.

State Department Rejects Maduro's Demand to Remove Diplomats from Venezuela

By Frances Martel |

The U.S. State Department announced late Wednesday that it would maintain a diplomatic presence in Venezuela despite dictator Nicolás Maduro's demand that they leave, stating that, as Venezuela swore in a new president who does not wish to break diplomatic ties, Maduro has no power to expel the Americans.

Vin Diesel Sends Venezuela Message of Support: 'Move Forward with Faith'

By Frances Martel |

Action star Vin Diesel posted an Instagram video in Spanish on Thursday alongsideFast and Furious series costar Michelle Rodríguez expressing support for anti-socialist protests in Venezuela and urging those fighting for their freedom to "move forward with faith.

Venezuela Swears In Opposition Leader as President

By Frances Martel |

JuanGuaidó, the presidentof the National Assemblyof Venezuela, took anoathofofficeon Wednesday and was sworn in as the legitimate interim presidentof the country, replacing dictator Nicolás Maduro.

Report: Kim Jong-Un Gives South Korean Luxury Cosmetics to Favorite Party Officials

By Frances Martel |

Trusted high-ranking officials in North Korea's communist Workers' Party received gifts this month of luxury cosmetics from South Korea, a sign of gratitude from dictator Kim Jong-un that defies government propaganda's incessant demands that North Korean civilians eschew the comforts of capitalism, a report revealed Wednesday.

Zimbabwe: Police Block Survivors of Mugabe Genocide from Bringing Murders to Court

By Frances Martel |

Police in Zimbabwe blocked activists representing the estimated 20,000Ndebele tribe people killed in a 1980s genocide known as "Gukurahundi" from bringing a case to court against the current government for its role in the event on Tuesday, claiming their attempt to request a permit for their assembly was illegal.

Report: Erdogan Urges Trump in Phone Call to Let Turkey Control Kurdish Syria

By Frances Martel |

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan once again attempted to convince American counterpart President Donald Trump to allow Turkey to control Manbij, a region in northern Syria under the auspicesof the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG/YPJ), in a phone call Sunday.

China Invites Islamic Country Envoys to Visit Muslim Internment Camps

By Frances Martel |

The Chinese government invited representatives from 12 neighboring, mostly Muslim-majority countries this week to tour someof the internment camps built in western Xinjiang province to indoctrinate, torture, and exploit the laborof Chinese Muslims.

Report: Second Trump-Kim Summit to Take Place March or April in Vietnam

By Frances Martel |

South Korean news outlets, citing a report from theWashington Post, claimed on Thursday that North Korea and the United Statesagreed to a second summit between American President Donald Trump and dictator Kim Jong-un, likely to occur in Vietnam in March or April.

Zimbabwe: President Claims Protests 'Fizzling Out' as Death Toll Climbs

By Frances Martel |

Reports suggest that at least eight people have died in protests against skyrocketing gasoline prices in Zimbabwe as of this Wednesday, which continued into the day despite President Emmerson Mnangagwa reportedly claiming the demonstrations were "fizzling out.

General Warns U.S.: China Will Recolonize Taiwan 'at All Costs'

By Frances Martel |

GeneralLi Zuocheng of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) echoed the sentiments of Communist Party leader Xi Jinping in remarks Tuesday urging America not to retain ties to Taiwan and that any attempt to protect it from Chinese invasion would be met with military force.

Report: Turkey Has 80,000 Soldiers on Hand for Syrian Invasion

By Frances Martel |

The ardently pro-Turkish government newspaperYeni Safak reported Monday that Ankara has prepared 80,000 troops to invade the Kurdish region of northern Syria in anticipation of the United States' withdrawal from the area.

China: U.S. Company 'Pathetic' for Refusing to Buy Goods Made by Muslim Slaves

By Frances Martel |

The Chinese Foreign Ministry condemned the American companyBadger Sportswear for announcing it would no longer purchase clothing from a company based in Xinjiang, where the communist government has built dozens of internment camps to house, enslave, and torture Muslim minorities.

Erdogan Offers to Build Syrian Government in New York Times Op-Ed

By Frances Martel |

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan penned aNew York Times opinion column published Monday in which he offered Turkey's guidance in rebuilding the government of northern Syria without the presence of the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG/YPJ), America's closest battlefield ally in the country.

Erdogan Refuses to Meet with John Bolton for Syria Talks

By Frances Martel |

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan refused to meet with U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton before he departed Ankara on Tuesday, claiming a scheduling conflict but assailing Bolton's defense of Syrian Kurdish militias in remarks the same day.

John Bolton: No Withdrawal from Syria Without Security Guarantees for Kurds

By Frances Martel |

U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton said in remarks during his trip to Israel Sunday that President Donald Trump does not intend to withdraw troops from Syria until he is satisfied with security guarantees for the Syrian Kurdish militias fighting there, which have played a key role in the defeat of the Islamic State.

Brazil: Bolsonaro Promises to Fire 'Communist' Government Employees

By Frances Martel |

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's chief of staffOnyx Lorenzoni told reporters following a cabinet meeting Thursday that Bolsonaro intends to fire any "communists" who work for the government currently, contending that those holding opposing ideological views to the new government cannot properly execute its goals.

Bolsonaro Takes Helm in Brazil: 'Our Flag Will Never Be Red'

By Frances Martel |

Brazil inaugurated Jair Bolsonaro, a far-right conservative who campaigned on a platform of smaller government and fighting socialism, as its president on Tuesday. In his first speech in office, Bolsonaro urged Brazilians to "dream" while remaining vigilant of the threats of socialism.

2018: The Year China's Communists Turned on Xi Jinping

By Frances Martel |

At the tail end of 2017, Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping delivered a 3.5-hour speech appointing himself the head of a "new era" of Chinese global hegemony, the indisputable leader of world communism.

Iran Holds Talks with Afghanistan, Taliban amid U.S. Peace Process

By Frances Martel |

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani revealed Thursday that he had received theSecretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council,Ali Shamkhani, in his office, shortly after reports verified that Iranian government officials have been in touch with the Taliban amid peace talks with the U.S.

China Lauds Cuba for Rejecting 'Individualism,' Suggests Mimicking Chinese Economy

By Frances Martel |

China's state-runGlobal Times newspaper published a story Tuesday recommending that the communist regime of Cuba learn from China's "reform and opening-up" economic strategy, which saw Beijing allowing trusted Communist Party members to run corporations to give the appearance of private enterprise.

North Korea: U.S. Human Rights Advocacy 'a Serious Political Provocation'

By Frances Martel |

North Korea's state media assailed the United States and allies at the United Nations Tuesday for helping pass a resolution condemning Pyongyang's decades-long systematic human rights abuses, calling the resolution "a serious political provocation against the dignified" Korean state.

Venezuela Invades Guyana to Block Exxon Mobil Oil Exploration

By Frances Martel |

The Venezuelan Navy illegally entered the waters of Guyana this weekend and forced a ship contracted by Exxon Mobil to conduct oil research in the area to vacate, claiming that Guyana's permission to explore its sovereign territory was not enough for the ship to be legally present in the water.

Report: Official China-North Korea Trade Down over 50 Percent in 2018

By Frances Martel |

TheSouth China Morning Post, citing Reuters statistics, reported on Monday that China has reduced its trade with North Korea by over 50 percent in the past year, potentially crippling Pyongyang's economy given that China is North Korea's largest trade partner.

China Defends 'War on Christmas': 'Excessive Commercialization Is Curbed'

By Frances Martel |

China's state-runGlobal Times newspaper defended in a Sunday column widespread crackdowns on Christmas displays and public celebration of the Christian holiday, claiming Western media reporting on the matter had "gone too far" and police action was necessary to "regulate excessive commercialization.

Cuban Slave Doctors Sue Venezuela's State Oil Company for Wages

By Frances Martel |

A group of unnamed Cuban doctors forced to work without pay in Venezuela filed a lawsuit Monday against Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), the state's oil company, arguing that the socialist state paid the Castro regime for their services in oil and owe them a fair salary.

Russia Announces Military Base in Venezuela

By Frances Martel |

Venezuelan news agencies, citing the Russian state outlet TASS, reported on Monday that the socialist dictatorship has agreed to allow Moscow to establish a military base on the island of La Orchila in the Caribbean Sea, the first such base since the end of the Cold War.

Report: U.S. Company Bought Clothes Made in Chinese Muslim Concentration Camp

By Frances Martel |

The Associated Press (AP) published a shocking report Monday night revealing that China is beginning to equip its prisons for Muslim ethnic minorities, referred to as internment or concentration camps by survivors, with large manufacturing centers where doctors and other highly-educated people are forced to learn to sew cheap clothing.

Chinese City Bans Christmas Celebrations to Maintain 'Clean Environment'

By Frances Martel |

The Chinese city ofLangfang near Beijing banned any public displays celebrating Christmas, including Christmas trees, lights, banners, and any "religious activities" in public in an attempt to win a Communist Party award for being "civilized," state media reported on Monday.

Putin Copies China, Calls for Plan to 'Guide' Content of Rap Music

By Frances Martel |

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced during a government meeting this weekend that he would seek to "take charge and guide" the content of rap and hip-hop music, lamenting that banning the genre complete was "impossible.

Bolsonaro: Brazil Has 'an Obligation' to Help Latin America Fight Communism

By Frances Martel |

Brazil's President-elect Jair Bolsonaro told a crowd at an assemblyof Latin American conservatives in his native country this weekend that he feels, as Latin America's largest economy, Brazil has an "obligation" to fight the leftist regimes in Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia, and elsewhere.

Elian Gonzalez Joins Twitter Day Before OAS Exposes Cuba's Human Rights Crimes

By Frances Martel |

Elián González, a Cuban former child refugee who was violently expelled from the United States during the Clinton administration when he was six, opened a Twitter account on Thursday, explaining that he wished to thank Cuban second-in-command Miguel Díaz-Canel for his birthday wishes.

Report: North Korea Speeds Up Construction at Long-Range Missile Site

By Frances Martel |

North Korea has spent the past six months "continuously upgrading" a key long-range missile facility despite public promises to reduce investments in military development, according to a report citing satellite image evidence published Wednesday.

Maduro Thanks Putin for Helping Venezuela 'Survive'

By Frances Martel |

Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow Wednesday, where the latter agreed to support the socialist regime economically and politically. As of press time, both sides have kept the details of this support secret, however.

Chinese Doctor Who Claimed to Have Edited Baby Genes Disappears

By Frances Martel |

He Jiankui, the Chinese scientist who claimed recently to have successfully edited the genes of twin infants to reject HIV, appears to have gone missing since delivering remarks at a Hong Kong scientific conference, theSouth China Morning Post reported on Monday.

China Applauds Its 'Enormous Progress on Human Rights' with U.N. Approval

By Frances Martel |

China's state media outlets praised officialZhang Jun and its United Nations delegation on Monday for celebrating the country's alleged human rights progress before the international forum, failing to mention Communist Party leader Xi Jinping's expansion of political re-education camps and terror campaigns against religious minorities.

Xi Jinping: Globalization Will Happen 'Independent of People's Will'

By Frances Martel |

Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping warned attendees at the nation'sFirst China International Import Expo on Monday that economic globalization was "an overarching trend, something that is independent of people’s will" and that history would leave behind those sticking to policies benefitting their countries.

Jair Bolsonaro Thanks God for Surviving Campaign Stabbing

By Frances Martel |

"First, I want to thank God for being alive," were the first words President-elect Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil said at an Evangelical Christian service on Tuesday night, his first public appearance since winning Sunday's election.

Cartoon Panda Explains: China's Belt and Road Death Trap 'Is Like a Chorus of Nations'

By Frances Martel |

The official publication of China's Communist Party, thePeople's Daily, published a video Tuesday promoting its One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative featuring a cartoon panda named "Pan Pan," heavily quoting communist party leader Xi Jinping and claiming the plan will enrich the world through "common development.

Brazil: Bolsonaro Gains 6 Points with Women After Claim He Threatened to Kill Ex-Wife

By Frances Martel |

Brazilian conservative candidate Jair Bolsonaro gained six points among women voters in a poll released Tuesday, less than a week after he was accused of threatening to kill his ex-wife and after a weekend in which leftist feminist protests drew thousands to convene nationwide to reject his candidacy.

China Forces Civilians to Conduct Air Raid Drills in Major Cities

By Frances Martel |

Chinese citizens in Beijing, Shanghai, and other major population hubs throughout the country spent the weekend observingNationwide National Defense Education Day, forced to practice air raid drills to know how to react to a military invasion.

Kenya Arrests Chinese Businessman for Calling Kenyans 'Monkey People'

By Frances Martel |

Kenyan police arrested a Chinese motorcycle dealer operating in the country this week after an employee recorded the man berating his native Kenyan employees, calling them "monkey people" and referring to Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta as a "monkey.

Beijing's Censorship Push Failing as Xi Jinping's Incompetence Becomes Focus of Protests

By Frances Martel |

Communist Party leader Xi Jinping has carefully crafted an image of himself as a big-picture visionary, tasked with turning China into the world's preeminent superpower. While Xi has focused on taking over the world, however, the average Chinese citizen appears increasingly frustrated with his inability to provide competent government functions like adequate education and health care.

Report: North Korea Still Making Cluster Bombs

By Frances Martel |

An NGO specializing in the proliferation of cluster bombs released a report Thursday at the United Nations accusing the communist government of North Korea of continuing to build and stockpile the weapons.